176 Tasting Notes

I’m sitting at the local Borders, enjoying their air conditioning and working on a paper. I’m not sure what the temperature was for this, since I didn’t make it, so I hope the kind lady that made this knew not to make it too hot.

This tastes pretty artificial. It’s pretty tart but not necessarily sweet. I’d get this again next time I come here (which might be pretty soon as it’s really starting to get hot outside), but I wouldn’t buy it to make at home.

Another big thanks to Ricky for sending me that surprise package of tea! This one smells very creamy and toasty, and maybe even buttery. I didn’t add anything to my cup.

Up front, there isn’t much coconut flavor. It’s very subtle, which is perfect, since the coconut would have been too much if it was overwhelming. This is a wonderfully smooth tea, perhaps the smoothest I’ve ever had. It has a full mouth feel – it’s very buttery and creamy. Toasty, too. What I like about the coconut is that it doesn’t taste artificial at all; it’s more like I’m drinking coconut milk that’s infused with toasted coconut.

What I like best about this is that I let my mother taste it, and she promptly sat down and ordered more – using her credit card! Score! Thanks again, Ricky!

So I’ve been wanting to try the GM Sampler for a while now. However, yesterday I opened up the mailbox and SURPRISE! Ricky had sent me some tea! The package included the two Golden Moon teas that I wanted to try the most – and this was one of them. So this tasting note is dedicated to Ricky and his awesome generosity and his ability to make my day!

I was so excited about this that I forgot to smell the dry leaves. I made this with a tiny pinch of sugar and a little bit of 2% milk. Let me tell you guys, I love black tea and this one smells delicious! I can tell I’m going to like it and I haven’t even tasted it yet.

Wow… this one ranks pretty high on the Nom Scale. I know for sure I’ll be ordering more of this once I get the cash (although I’ve vowed not to order any tea during the month of April. I got my credit card bill yesterday and oh boy). Yes, it’s delicious all right. It’s very smooth and full-bodied, with notes of honey and possibly some nectar. Underneath everything is a very nice Ceylon. The aftertaste is sweet and it leaves me itching to take another sip.

Ricky – I brought the Tiger to work to mind my tea stash – we’ve been having a MOUSE problem in the office!!!

Jackee, the Two Thomases (yes there are TWINS!) and Marco Polo are having a grand party now that A+D’s Earl Grey and especially Jasmine Green have entered the cabinet (she is one gal who likes to party!! Strains of Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? have been heard from the tea cabinet, and she installed a disco ball of all things!

Poor Florence – All she cares about is CHOCOLATE – she is simply drowning in chocolate chips (see my tasting note on ChocolatTEA). She is a changed woman!!

There is now a little area for the Samovar teas – they are a bit snobby and don’t attend the disco – they have yoga class.

Oh my, seems everyone’s having a blast in the cupboard! Samovar teas are snobby, lolol. What about the Golden Moon peeps? Are they in their jacuzzi basket? Too cool to hangout with everyone else? Tsk tskk, those pesky GM people, thinking they all fancy in their silver suits and all.

The GM peeps like the disco too! They are easy going and mingle with everyone. Not a bad egg in the bunch! I can’t wait to see what happens when the Dammann Freres come from France!!! Maybe Marco Polo will stop partying so much (very bad influence those wild A+D teas) and they will all join together to open a French tea room!! Bring a little dignity back, sheesh!

SoccerMom – LOL! Wait til we take our tea tins out at the Russian Tea Room and play with them like dolls! We’ll make them talk to each other by lifting the lids like a little mouth! He will hide under the table!!

I got my Den’s Green Tea Sampler for Novices today! I was so impressed with what was inside that little box: 4 samples of loose-leaf tea, 2 tea bags, 2 paper filter bags, a catalog, order form, pamphlet about Den’s Tea, a sheet of brewing instructions, and a large booklet all about the health benefits of green tea. If anyone doesn’t know, this was all for $3, with free shipping. Such a great deal.

So this was not only my first time with Den’s Tea, but my first time with an unflavored green as well. It took me a while to get over my fear of grassiness, but I’ve gotta take that plunge sometime, right? I didn’t know which tea to start with, so I plunged my hand into the samples and picked a random one.

These leaves were a medium brown color. When steeping, they honestly smelled like Pu-erh mixed with marijuana [I’ve been to lots of rock & metal concerts]. However, once decanted, it just smells a little like Pu-erh but less fishy and more woodsy/earthy. The liquid is brown, just like the leaves.

After that smell, I was a teensy bit scared to take a sip. I want to like green tea, but I guess I have to actually try it to like it, right?

It’s not nearly as heavy as I thought it would be. It definitely has a light mouth feel, medium body. If I didn’t know this was green tea, I’d mistake it for a light Pu-erh. It has most of the characteristics of a Pu-ehr; earthy, woody, and the tiniest bit fishy (but not in a bad way, I promise).

I like it. But I’m confused. It looks, smells, and tastes like a Pu-erh. What’s the deal? How is this considered green tea? I know it’s all about the processing, but… Can anyone enlighten me? Pretty please?

Holy crap… This is a scary one to try 1st! It’s made of twigs instead of leaf I think. I could be wrong. I’m having a HORRIBLE day and reading this made me feel better- thanks! I can’t wait to live vicariously thru your next tasting note=D

Hi Erin: Houjicha is not the twigs (that would be kukicha or bocha), houjicha is made from bancha which is similar to sencha tea, only of lesser quality. The bancha leaves are roasted over charcoal, which imparts the very deep woodsy and locks in a very earthy characteristic, which is what you’re detecting.

Erin: no. There are several different types of pu-erh so I would need to know what type of pu-erh you’re speaking of before I can be completely accurate. Pu-erh can be either raw or cooked, and is generally pressed and aged. It also generally comes from ancient, wild tea trees. It is these unique situations that create the unique flavor that is pu-erh.

This was another free sample from The Jade Teapot. I took this plain, with no sugar or milk. It brewed to the really nice yellow-orange color that is typical of a flavored white. The smell is sort of like peach, but with a little melon in there, too. It’s very strong but pleasant as well.

This is quite nice. From the smell, I was expecting a huge peach taste to smack me in the face. However, it is just a light flavor and I can still taste the white tea below everything. This could make my rating go either way, but for me, a light peachy taste is just what I wanted.

This would make a very good every day afternoon tea. It would also taste good iced. It’s beginning to be that time of the year when I need to break out the shorts, fans, and iced tea, so I need to make note of what would taste good iced. I don’t want the weather to heat up, but it’s inevitable. Sigh.

I keep coming back to this one simply because it is such a light, refreshing, and rewarding drink. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorites and I’m almost all out of it, shame. I’ve also noticed that I keep upping my rating, which is another good sign.

This really does taste like the warm nectar of a honeydew melon. If it’s possible for something to taste slightly sour in a good way, then this is it. It’s sour and sweet and just barely grassy from the white tea, which is complemented perfectly by the melon. I’m just itching to try Golden Moon’s White Persian Melon, which is supposedly similar to this (according to Ricky). One of these days I’ll get the GM sampler!

You should get the GM Sampler. Mine came in a couple of days ago and I’m quite impressed. I too am very excited to try the White Persian Melon, as I am a big honeydew fan. I will let you know how it turns out.

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I have recently been forcibly transplanted from Princeton, New Jersey to Burleson, Texas. I’ve been recovering from culture shock ever since. When I’m not dodging scorpions and pickup trucks, I’m a college student, drummer, lover of music and animals, Harry Potter freak, and a vegetarian. I just got a job at a bookstore, which is the perfect place for somebody like me.